List of fictional universities

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Many books and other works of fiction are set in, or refer to, fictional universities.[1][2] These have been said to "feature abundantly, persistently, and increasingly in popular culture texts"[3] and in an "array of media including novels, television, film, comic books, and video games".[4] This list includes identifiable fictional universities or other institutions appearing to offer degree-level qualifications. Individual Oxbridge colleges (ie parts of the English universities of Oxford and Cambridge) are not included as there are separate lists of these.

University name Creator Original medium Location Comments
University of Bantshire Anonymous Internet UK Parody website and Twitter feed commenting on UK Higher Education, described as "the Banksy of the education social media world".[5][6][7]
Borchester University Various Other UK:England Name used to disguise a university which was the subject of Angela Thody's 2012 study of emeritus professors.[8][9][10] The University is also used as an example in a variety of teaching materials for language learning.[11][12] Borchester is the fictional county town of fictional Borsetshire, in the English Midlands, scene of the long-running BBC Radio series The Archers.
The University of Bums on Seats Cynicalbastards.com Internet UK: England "Formerly Peckham Polytechnic". A satirical invention reflecting the changing UK Higher Education system, online since at least 2001.[13][14]
Burston Central University Chris Cooper (pseudonym) Internet UK:England Also the associated "University College of North Burston". Not to be confused with "The University of Burston" (established 1863) in the same town. Setting of The Unknown Tutor, published in December 2012 in the "Wading Through Treacle" blog and later republished. Burston is 4 hours' drive from Prestatyn in north Wales, but otherwise unlocated.[15][16]
University of Burston Chris Cooper (pseudonym) Internet UK:England Established 1863 and not to be confused with Burston Central University in the same town. Featured in The Unknown Tutor, published in December 2012 in the "Wading Through Treacle" blog and later republished.[15]
University of Carrbridge Examiners in the Natural Sciences Tripos at the University of Cambridge Other UK:Scotland Carrbridge is a village in the Scottish Highlands. The university and its Porterhouse College featured in statistics questions in Cambridge Natural Sciences Tripos examination papers at least from 2008 to 2011.[17]
Christminster University Thomas Hardy Novel UK:England Jude's destination in Jude the Obscure, based on Oxford[18]
Clyde University Sea of Souls scriptwriter TV UK:Scotland The Clyde is Glasgow's river. Clyde's Department of Parapsychology is the setting for this BBC TV series written by David Kane. Jordanhill College, Glasgow, was used to represent the university in exterior shots.[19][20]
Dartmouth University Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong TV UK:England The former university of main characters Mark and Jeremy in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show.
University of Edgestow C. S. Lewis Novel UK:England In the novel That Hideous Strength; had four colleges: Bracton College, Northumberland College, Dukes College, St. Elizabeth's College.[21] Lewis described the fictional Edgestow as a small university town more beautiful than either Cambridge or Oxford.[22]
Felpersham University The Archers scriptwriters Radio UK:England University in the fictional cathedral city of Felpersham in Borsetshire, attended by several characters from the long-running BBC radio series The Archers.[23][24]
Fibchester University National Union of Students Other UK:England Subject of case studies in NUS training courses[25][26]
University of Gallifrey Doctor Who scriptwriters TV Extraterrestrial Located on fictional planet Gallifrey, source of the Thirteenth Doctor's doctorate. Merchandise available on eBay and Etsy indicates that it was established in 1963 and known as "Time Lord Academy".[27]
University of Gloucester David Lodge Novel UK:England Setting of Thinks ... (ISBN 0-436-44502-6)[28] Not to be confused with the real University of Gloucestershire.
University of Hilldene Ruth Rendell TV UK:England Alma mater of DI Burden's daughter Pat in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries episode The Mouse in the Corner; filmed at Southampton[29]
University of Inverdoon Eric Linklater Novel UK:Scotland The protagonist of Linklater's semi-autobiographical White Maa's Saga attends medical school at this Scottish university, either identified as University of Aberdeen or set in a town which is "a thinly veiled combination of Aberdeen and Inverness".[30][31]
King's University, also known as King's College Dublin Eilís Dillon Novel Ireland Dublin based setting for novels including Death in the Quadrangle (Faber, 1956; republished 2009 ISBN 978-1601870445)[32][33]
Kirke University Campus scriptwriters TV UK:England Setting for the semi-improvised sitcom Campus[34]
University College Limerick David Lodge Novel Ireland Employer of a character in Small World (ISBN 0-436-25663-0)[35]
Lowlands University Andrew Davies TV UK:England Setting for A Very Peculiar Practice[36] Possibly based on Warwick.[1]
Manchester Medlock University Fresh Meat scriptwriters TV UK:England Setting of TV comedy series Fresh Meat[37] The Medlock is a river in Greater Manchester.
University of Maximegalon Douglas Adams Radio Extraterrestrial From the BBC Radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.[38]
University of North Norfolk Elly Griffiths Novel UK:England The title character of Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series heads the department of forensic archaeology at this university near King's Lynn, Norfolk (which is not in North Norfolk local authority district).[39][40]
University of North Yorkshire Susan Parry Novel UK:England Near Harrogate. Features in the novel Grand Depart (2013, Viridian Publishing, ISBN 978-0956789143) and other books by the same author, as the employer of central character Dr Millie Sanderson.[41]
University of Norwich Michael Frayn Film UK:England In the 1986 film Clockwise, written by Frayn and directed by Christopher Morahan, headmaster Brian Stimpson (Cleese) sets off to deliver a speech at this fictional university[42] Scenes depicting the university were filmed at King Edward's School, Birmingham and the University of Birmingham.[43] Not to be confused with the University of East Anglia established 1963 in Norwich, or Norwich University of the Arts which gained university status in 2013.
Poltowan University Nicola K. Smith Novel UK:England Set in a fictional town somewhere west of Falmouth, Cornwall, this university is the setting for Smith's 2019 novel A Degree of Uncertainty (Compass, ISBN 978-1912009411) featuring tensions between students and residents.[44]
Poppleton University Laurie Taylor Newspaper UK:England Nether Poppleton and Upper Poppleton are real villages just outside York. Also used by HESA as an example in official documentation[45][46]
Rummidge University David Lodge Novel UK:England Setting of the Campus Trilogy: Changing Places, Small World and Nice Work "A thinly-veiled portrait of Birmingham".[47]
St Luke's University Doctor Who scriptwriters TV UK:England Fictional university in Bristol where the Twelfth Doctor taught and Bill Potts worked, first appearing in series 10, episode one The Pilot. Filming used the buildings of Cardiff University.[48]
St Rule's University Margaret Oliphant Story UK:Scotland Setting of Oliphant's 1896 short story "The Library Window", based on University of St Andrews.[49]
St Sebastian's University Anonymous Novel UK:England Setting of A Campus Conspiracy (ISBN 9780954758677), published anonymously in 2006 but attributed to Lavinia Cohn-Sherbok.[50][51]
Scumbag College The Young Ones scriptwriters TV UK:England College attended (or not) by the four flat-sharing students in 1980s BBC TV series The Young Ones, written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer. A highlight was the four's appearance as the college's team on TV quiz show University Challenge confronting Footlights College, Oxbridge.[52][53]
Skerryvore University James Bridie Play UK:Scotland A Scottish university, the setting of Bridie's 1939 play What Say They?, which was adapted into the 1952 comedy film You're Only Young Twice.[54][55] Skerryvore is an uninhabited island off the west of Scotland, 12 miles (19 km) beyond Tiree.
Sweet Valley University Francine Pascal Novel US Setting for 63 YA novels by Pascal and ghost-writers (published 1993-2000), part of the Sweet Valley High franchise.[56]
University of Tayside Traces scriptwriters TV UK:Scotland Located in Dundee, Scotland, and hosts the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science and Anatomy (SIFA), the setting for the seriesTraces, made by Alibi and shown on BBC One. Filming locations include University of Bolton.[57] Also branded as "Tayside University".[58]
Tuktoyaktuk University Anonymous Clothing Canada:NWT A clothing manufacturer in the real Tuktoyaktuk, a hamlet in Canada's Northwest Territories, sold celebrated teeshirts and sweatshirts from this fictional institution.[59][60]
Unseen University Terry Pratchett Novel Extraterrestrial In the city of Ankh-Morpork on Discworld.[61]
Watermouth University Malcolm Bradbury Novel UK:England Setting of The History Man; "bears more than a passing resemblance to the University of East Anglia"[62]
Wetherton University Reginald Hill TV UK:England The local university is mentioned in some episodes of Dalziel and Pascoe, the BBC TV series set in fictional Wetherton, Yorkshire.[63][64]
Wetwang University Yorkshire Post columnist? Newspaper UK:England Wetwang is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire[65]
Winchester University Justin Simien Film US The 2014 film Dear White People is set in this fictional Ivy League university.[66] Not to be confused with the real English University of Winchester.
Wrottesley Polytechnic Howard Jacobson Novel UK:England Sefton Goldberg, the central character of Jacobson's 1980 novel Coming From Behind, is an unhappy lecturer at this English polytechnic "somewhere in the debased and deteriorating Midlands".[67][68] Inspired by Jacobson's experiences as a lecturer at Wolverhampton Polytechnic.[69]

Note that the red brick university in England in which Kingsley Amis sets Lucky Jim is unnamed.

References

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See also

Retrieved from "https://mdwiki.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_universities"